Method and means for utilizing fuel-wastes and generating power.



J. M. W. KITCHEN. METHOD AND MEANS FOR UTILIZING FUEL WASTES ANDGENERATING POWER.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909.

1,041,810, Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PMNOURAPH C0..WA$HINIJTON. D. c.

JOSEPH MOSES WARD KITCHEN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR- UTILIZING FUEL-WASTES AND GENERATING POWER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22,1912.

Original application filed April 3, 1909, Serial No. 487,694. Dividedand this application filed June 28, 1909.

i Serial No. 504,778.

Fuelastes and Generating Power, of.

which the following is a specification.

A special object of my invention is to generate electric energy at' avery low cost through the use of various co-acting heat economies, inusing very cheap fuels, such as bituminous slack, which are ordinarilydifiicult to handle in a satisfactory manner for power producingpurposes. In other words, the inventive idea is to transposev a low costand widely distributed fuel, into a more valuable and salable product inactive demand. In gaining this object, the fuel is. first distilled,producing what is known as coal gas, and also coke and heat wastes. Thecoke is gasified, and the gas is used in the internal combustion engine,the motive energy of which is transferred into electrical energy. Theheat wastes of the process are captured, concentrated, accumulated andstored, and then also converted through steam power into electricenergy. The dually generated electric energy is then unified, andthrough electric transmission, is distributed in useful work. i

A further object of the invention is the making of a fuel gas ofsatisfactory quality for use in power generation and for various heatingpurposes, and which gas has as a basis, low cost producer gas. It shouldbe here noted that producer gas made from some very low cost fuels is ofan undersirably thin quality, so poor in heat forming constituents thatthe use of so poor a gas is very limited; but which if even moderatelyenriched, has a very much wider application in practice. In thisinvention, I usually enrich the. producer gas by admixing water gas withit, or sometnnes, coal gas, or both.

In gaining the ob ects of the invention,

my method is advantageously utilized in known, such wastes are verylarge, and sometimes occur to the extent of over 75% of the value of thefuel used. In coal gas making, among the wastes which occur, are thosein which heat escapes in the gases that have heated the retorts used inmaking the coal gas; those which occur in the making of water gas, bothin the sensible heat in the new gas, and as carbon-monoxid gas which isexhausted during the process of highly heating the fuel contents of thewater gas generator intermittently with the forcing of steam through thehighly heated fuel. A very large amount of heat escapes by beingradlated from the various parts of the gas plant. Much loss is sustainedthrough imperfect combustion in heating the coal gas retorts, and incooling the coke. There is a considerable loss sustained by not usingfor motive power, the expansive force of steam before using the steam inmaking water gas after the expansive force has been more or lessutilized; and a considerable loss is sustained by not using in creatingmotive power needed 1n such plants, or otherwise used, the explosiveforce of gas, as well as the expansive force of the steam generated fromwaste heat. In making provision for preventing these losses, I applyamong others, the following principles:

1. To use the lowest cost fuels from which coke can be made, to make alarge amount of coke, and to utilize that coke in water gas making andin producer gas generation. I

secure aloettcr control of the heating process in distilling coal gasfrom the fuel, by heating the retorts with gas or with gasified solidfuel burned under accurate control as to the supply of air used in thegasification of and in the burning of the gas, or other fuel; and preferthat both the gas and the air used should be pre-heated before using,especially if the pre-heating is secured by utilizing waste heat.

2. I utilize the heat of the incandescent coke to generate water gas,and under certain conditions, to gasify tarry vapors; and I utilize thehotexhaust gases escaping after heating the retorts, to heat water andform steam.

3. I utilize in steam generation, waste hot gases that are formed in thewater gas genburning the gas in an internal combustion engine, and thenutilizing both the jacket water heat and the exhaust gas heat of theinternal combustion engine for heating water. Where an accessory amountof motive power is required, I make producer gas from the coke waste ina separate generator, use it in an internal combustion engine, andutilize the sensible heat of the newly formed producer gas for heatingwater, and use the heat of the jacket water of the engine in heating airfor combustion.

i. I also utilize the sensible heat of the newly formed water gas toheat water.

5. The water after being highly superheated is conveyed from the severaldevices in which they are heated, into storage tanks well insulatedexternally against loss of heat by radiation; and steam of workingpressure is secured from the superheated water through a reduction ofpressure of steam disengaged from the super-heated water in the storagetanks, and which is then used to actuate one or more steam motors.

6. WVith the motive power developed in the plant, I generate electricenergy, which though separately generated, is united for use anddistributed for lighting, traction or other purposes, the wastes of coalgas making being thus applied in work, through 'the generation ofelectric energy and through electric distribution of the energy. Inorder to secure the utmost eiiiciency from the several sources ofelectric energy, I generate multiple electric currents and then unifythem in work.

In carrying out this conserving method, heat of low temperature isradiated and transferred to air for combustion at a relatively low zonein the plant. The air which is thus primarily heated, rises upwardly tomore highly located zones, where at a level above the elements of theplant, the air is progressively more highly heated, and this highlyheated air bearing heat radiated from the various elements of the plant,is drawn downwardly by a mechanically actuated exhauster and blower fromthe high level zone, and used for purposes of combustion in making thecoal gas, and the water gas; and also in making producer gas if steam isused endothermically in in aking that gas. Those zones of the planttraversed and used by the attendants operating the plant, receive a coolair supply for respiration from properly located air inlets at lowlevels of the plant. By the application of these several principles, alarge part of the 'fuel wastes of an illuminating gas manufacturingplant are economized by being applied directly in performing work, orindirectly, through performing work regeneratively.

In this economizing method I accomplish work with low degrees of heatthat can be accomplished by such'low degrees of heat, and reserve higherand more intense heat to do work which only high degrees of heat arecapable of performing. In securing these results I utilize to a largeextent the principle of the vertical counter-current travel of gases andwater, the gases being first applied to heating surfaces at a high leveland being forced or drawn downwardly, while the water to be heated isforced vertically upward in counter-travel to the gases travelingdownwardly through the heating device. I utilize mechanical air and gasexhausters and blowers to a considedable extent in securing perfectedcombustion and transmission of the heat generated, 7 through acontrolled compression of the gases burned, that would otherwise not bepossible under natural draft, which being an induced draft is the reasonof thermic losses due to expansion of gases influenced by an induceddraft before the heat in the gases is transmitted.

Through the co-action of the various elements and in the application ofthe several principles named, I secure the utilization of a large partof the fuel wastes of gas making through the generation of the electriccurrent which is avaluable marketable product; and I also secure theproduction of electric energy at an unusually low cost.

In the accompanying drawing there is diagrammatically illustrated theapplication of the principles of the invention inan 10o illuminating gasmanufacturing and power plant, in which:

A represents a bank of gas retorts.

B is a water heater and tar condenser for absorbing the heat of newlymade water gas and condensing tarry vapors.

B is a gas conduit leading to the tank H.

C is a water gas generator.

D is a producer gas generator.

E represents a producer gas cooler, water heater and condenser.

F is a scrubber for cleaning the producer gas.

G is a fuel gas accumulating tank.

H is an accumulating tank for illuminating gas.

J is a producer gas eXhauster and blower.

K is an internal combustion engine.

L is a water heater.-

M is an electric generator.

N is an air eXhauster and blower.

O is an non-conducting incasement for a hot water accumulating andstorage tank.

P is a steam motor.

Q is another electric generator.

R is an exhaust steam condenser and water heater.

S is a gas cooler, water heater and condenser of tarry and other vapors.

. T are hot water tanks.

U is a hot air conduit.

V is piping for radiating the heat of warm exhaust gases.

W is an exhauster and blower.

X is steam piping for radiating heat from water of condensation.

Y is a floor.

Z are electrical conductors.

Various structural details that would be usually included in a plant ofthe nature described are omitted from the drawing for the sake ofclearness. Reference to some of these details will be made later in thespeci' fication.

' The coal gas generator represented by A, may vary in type and becharged by usual methods.

A represents one of the retorts which is open at the end leading intothe coke well A After a charge of coal has been heated in the retort Athe coke is pushed backward from the charging mouth A into the cokewell, and is precipitated to the bottom of the well, which is protectedfrom gas emission and entrance of air at the bottom by the water seal AThe coke is withdrawn through the water seal A and by means of suitableprovisions, such as a Wheel barrow and a mechanically actuated elevator,is conveyed to the floor Y; and from the floor Y, is charged into thewater gas generator C through the charging inlet C or can be used in theproducer gas generator D. As the incandescent coke reaches the water inthe water seal A steam is generated, which, passing up through theincandescent coke, generates water gas, and this along with the coal gasfrom the retort A is conveyed to and stored in the illuminating gas tankH after going through the ordinary process of cleaning, the means forperforming which process are not shown in the drawing. This illustrationmerely points out the idea of making water gas in any one of a number ofways as a co-acting economy. The retort is heated by the compound burnerA, which is supplied with fuel gas by the conduit A and with air by theconduit A both being under compression, the air and the gas, both beingpreferably preheated, would be forced into the burner A by pressureblowers indicated by J and N. In the instances in which the coal gaswould not be injured by excessive heat, the coke well A would beentirely filled with the incandescent coke and also the rear part of theinterior of the retort A in which case the volatilized gases passingthrough the incandescent coke would have the tarry vapors decomposed andtransformed into fixed gas. Other means for heating the retort may beused. The hot gases after passing over the retort, pass through theconduits S into the upper part of the water heater S, which has thewatertubes S and the water chambers S3 and S. Cold feed water is forcedthrough the water inlet S upwardly through the tubes S and through theoutlet S into the superheated water storage tank T; the water beingheated in the upper levels of the device S to a degree that isproportionate to the pressure given to the exhaust heating gases, and tothe rapidity with which the water is passed through the heater. Aninduced draft may be created through the heater by the exhauster andblower W which may draw the gases upward through the gas spaces W andforce them out through the exhaust conduit V The water gas generator Cis of usual construction, and in connection with it there can be used adevice for enriching the gas with oil, but which is not shown in thedrawing. The newly made water gas is conveyed through the conduit G intothe water heater B, which is of substantially the same construction asthat of the water heater S, as are also the water heaters E and L. Morewater is highly heated in this device, and finally finds eXit throughthe pipe B and is conveyed into the hot water storage tank T. The cool,cleaned gas, after passing through the water heater B, is finally storedin the tank H. Some of the poor quality producer gas that is made in thegenerator C intermittently with the generation of water gas, instead ofbeing exhausted into the atmosphere, is in this case conveyed, alongwith as much water gas as may be desired to secure a burnable gas ofsufficient richness, through the conduit C through the water heater andgas cooler E, through the scrubber F, and through the exhauster andblower J into the fuel gas .tank G, from which it can be taken asrequired for use in the internal combustion engine K, or for heating theretort A Or it may be distributed anywhere within practical distances,and utilized for power generation, heating or other fuel gas purposes.It will be noted that in this way 1 economize sensible heat and alsounburned gaseous constituents that are too diluted with unburnable gasesto be ordinarily burnable. By adding more burnable constituents to thepoorer gas, I secure a gas that is burnable under ordinary compressionin the internal combustion engine. Note should be made that producer gasgenerated from fuel like cinders and very highly heated coke, is poor ineasily volatilized thermal constituents, and hence it is desirable toenrich such gas for special purposes.

The producer gas gencmtor.--A plant of this kind would usually haveconnected with it a special producer gas generator for creating an.accessory supply of producer gas for generating power or for producingany needed additional supply of fuel gas. The

producer indicated by D may be of any type suitably designed forgasifying the fuel used; but in a plant of this kind the coke producedin the coal gas making would be conveniently and economically utilizedfor making producer gas as well as making water gas. When I generatemuch producer gas from the coke, I usually admix some fine fuel dustwith the more porous coke for the purpose of enriching the producer gasand in order to enable higher heat to be more easily maintained in thegenerator. Fuels like some cokes, and like cinders, require unusuallyhigh heat to secure their volatilization; and this high heat is promotedby adding ashes or line fuel dusts to the coke and cinders and bygasifying the fuel under considerable pressure. Inasmuch as gas housecoke usually carries a considerable amount of tar forming matters in it,the usual centrifugal device used for free ing producer gas from tarwill be used in this connection; and hence a certain proportion of finebituminous dust could be used to advantage in connection with the cokeused, the tar from both fuels being eliminated by the one centrifugaldevice.

It will be noted that wherever in this plant there is generated wastehot gases, the heat of the gases, if of sufficiently high temperature,is economized by running the gases through a water heater; and that thewaste heat is thus economized through the formation of steam, whichgenerates electric energy through the agency of a steam motor, anelectric current thus being made available for the various practicalpurposes to which electric energy can be applied. The principle isapplied of progressively heating water in a primary and in successiveheaters, as is also the process for progressively heating air forcombustion with waste heats of progressively higher degrees oftemperature, as is indicated by the arrangement of the radiatingconduits V, V, W and X It will be noted that in this invention Igenerate coal, water and producer gases, and electric energy, in aneconomic manner through a co-active method. The various gases may beused separately or in any desired combination, such as may be suited forilluminating, heating and power generating purposes; and the richness ofeither gas may be varied by ordinary methods, or through the methods Idescribe in the hereafter referred to patents, or co-pendingapplications for patents.

WVith the ultimate object of securing both motive power and a low costfuel gas, I start with a very cheap grade of fuel like bituminous slack,and subject it to sufiicient heat to drive off its easily volatilizedconstituents, which process produces a nonclean illuminating gas, cokeand waste hot gases. Then I commence with the coke product produced, andfirst utilize the coke in its highly heated state to fix the tarryvapors resulting from distilling subsequent charges of the fuel, (2) Imake a certain amount of water gas from the heat of the newly formed hotcoke through the process of cooling the coke, (3) I make directly, moreor less other water gas from the coke, and I make producer gas fromcoke. These several gas products are used as desired, either incombination, or singly; and

in combination with motive power otherwise produced, I utilize the heatwastes of the several steps taken, in capturing, 'accumulating andstoring heat energy which in the form of disengaged steam is finallyapplied in work, and preferably, in the form of the electric current.

Accumulating and storing waste heat.- In order that the process ofmaking illuminating gas may be economically conducted, the process ofgenerating that gas, as well as that of the generation of other gases,should be continuously carried on, and in order that the waste heat ofgas manufacture may be conserved with substantial completeness andeconomy, it is necessary to concentrate, accumulate and store that wasteheat, so that the heat thus concentrated, accumulated and stored, can beutilized at will in generating the electric current, or in doing otherwork during those hours when there is greatest need for motive power.Hence I adopt and utilize the following described method as thatpreferred in economizing the waste heat. Inasmuch as water is thegreatest heat absorber known, I make as main feature in this process ofheat economization, the heating of water to a high degree in thespecially designed water heaters shown in the drawing, and then storethe super-heated water in strongly built water tanks designed to resistvery high internal pressures, and which are well protected from loss ofheat in the water. by insulating incasements. Such tanks are representedby T in the drawing, and the insulating incasements by 0. Feed water isforced through the water heaters of the plant at high pressure,therebeing no steam space in any of the water heaters. Steam spaces Thowever, are provided in the water tanks. The steam disengaged underhigh pressure in the tanks T, T, is conveyed through the steam conduit Thaving the safety valve T and through the pressure reducing valve T, tosuch steam motor as may be used for creating motive power from the steamthus reduced in pressure. Such a steam motor may be a reciprocatingengine, or in certain cases, it may be a steam turbine, the activity ofwhich would be enhanced by condensing the exhaust steam in the condenserR. The condensing water is progressively heated in its progress throughthe condenser in counter-direction to the travel of the exhaust steam,and can then be used as feed water in the water heaters of the plant, orits latent heat may be radiated and thus heat air for combustion.

V U tiZieing low degrees of heat.Provision is made in a plant of thenature herein described, for utilizing the low degrees of heat which mayremain in the exhaust gases after passing through the water heaters, orthat which would still be contained in the wat er of condensation and inthe condensing water that has passed through the condenser It. Radiatingpipes for these purposes are indicated by V, V, X and L. In heating airfor combustion with low degrees of heat, say below 200 F., thearrangement of the radiating surfacesis such that there will be aprogressive heating of the air, which arrangement provides for thegradual heating of the air by progressively higher degrees of heat. Inaddition to such features for radiating heat there will be otherfeatures added when necessary for radiating heat from the jacket waterof the internal combustion engine K. The water which is primarily heatedin the jacket of the engine, along with the water of condensation thathas been partly cooled, may be used as feed water in the various waterheaters, it being pumped from the well E by a suitable pump indicated byE capable of overcoming the pressure in the water heaters and waterstorage tanks T. Some of the connections with the pump E and the waterheaters are omitted in the drawing for clearness. The heat of the jacketwater may be transferred to air for combustion by circulating the feedwater in a closed water cooler, the circulation being effected bygravity. Usually in plants of this type, I utilizethe air heated byradiated heat, for purposes of combustion in the furnace of the gasgenerator A. In case of need for condensing tar vapors in the newlygenerated gas, I may secure the condensation of the tar on tubes throughwhich water specially refrigerated by mechanical means, is passed. r r7' Enhansting and forcing heated air. It will be noted that air heatedbyradiation is drawn through the conduit U by the hauster and blower N,and through the conduit N and branch conduits N N and A to the severalplaces where the warmed air would be utilized for combustion;processes.The electric generators M and Q would have their energy united throughthe'conductors Z, with or without the storage battery I; and the currentwould find delivery and be distributed in work through the conductors IPreventing radiation-Most of the elements of the plant herein describedwould be protected by non-conducting insulation against loss of heat byradiation; but heat that would necessarily escape through its radiation,would mostly be used regeneratively in generating the several gasesproduced.

Unifying the two motive f0rces.-It will be noted that there are twoelectric generators in the system; one operated by gas power and one bysteam power, and that I unite the two forces through the generation andstoring of electric energy developed through the action of the twoelectric generators. This is one of the methods which I adopt of unitingsteam and gas power in action without loss of efficiency due toinharmonious rates of speed in the gas engine and steam motor.

Inasmuch as producer gas power is somewhat intractable and undependable,I, in composite power generation, prefer to exer cise a power of controlover the gas engine by an outside auxiliary source of power, such assteam power. It will be obvious that this control can be exercisedthrough the intermediate action of an electric motor connected in anyconvenient manner with the gas engine, and actuated by an electriccurrent generated by the steam power. This method may be practicallydesirable under certain conditions, though I usually prefer a morepositive and direct transmission of the control power as is indicated inmy co-pending application, Serial No. 453,27 5, filed September 16th,1908, and in several other of my co-pending applications hereinafterreferred to.

In the claims herewith made, when and wherever I use the term. verticalcountercurrent water heat or boiler, I refer to a device in which thehottest gases are first applied to the highest level of the device wherethe hottest water is to be found, and in which the gases make a plungingclownward travel and find an exit at the bottom of the device, while thefeed water enters the device at a low level is progressivelyheated in anupward travel of the water in countercurrent to the travel of the gases.

Subject matter is disclosed in this application which is not hereinclaimed, but which is more or less claimed in each of the followingnamed applications: Serial No. 415,983 filed February 14th, 1908; SerialNo. 453,275 filed September 16th, 1908; Serial No.460,267 filed October30th, 1908; Serial No.465,966 filed December 4th, 1908; Serial No.482,127 filed March 8th, 1909; Serial No. 487,649 filed April 3rd, 1909;Serial No. 504,132 filed June 24th, 1909.

This application is a division of an application Serial No. 487,694,filed April 3,1909.

What I claim as new is:

1. The method herein described for utilizing fuel wastes and generatingpower, which consists in, (l) distilling fuel and produc-' ing theseparate products, coal gas, coke and exhaust hot gases, (2) generatingproducer gas from the coke product in a step separate and apart from thestep of distilling the fuel. (3) generating motive energy from theproducer gas, (4) generating motive energy from the exhaust hot gases,and (5) uniting the two motive energies.

2. The method herein described of utilizing fuel wastes and generatingpower, which consists in, 1) distilling fuel and producing a combustiblegas, coke and exhaust hot gases, (2) making water gas from the coke,

3) making producer .gas from the coke, 4) enriching the producer gaswith the water gas, (5) generating motive power from the gas generated,(6) generating motive power from the exhaust hot gases, and 7 unitingfor work the two motive powers generated.

3. The method herein described of utilizing fuel wastes and generatingpower, which consists in, (1) distilling fuel and thereby producing acombustible gas, coke and hot exhaust gases, (2) super-heating waterwith the hot exhaust gases, (3) accumulating and storing thesuper-heated water, (4) generating motive power from the accumulated andstored super-heated water, (5) generating motive power from the coke,and (6) uniting the two motive powers generated for useful work.

4. The method herein described of utilizing fuel wastes and generatingpower, which consists in, (1) distilling fuel, said step producing acombustible gas, coke and hot exhaust gases, (2) generating motive powerfrom the coke, (3) generating motive power from the hot gases exhaustedin said first and second steps, and (4) using, regeneratively in thestep of distilling the fuel, the low temperature heat exhausted in thetwo steps of generating motive power.

5. The method herein described of utilizing fuel wastes and generatingpower, which consists in, (1) distilling fuel and producing acombustible gas, coke and hot exhaust gases, (2) generating combustiblegas from the coke by heating the coke, (3) generating steam from theheat wastes of both of the said steps, (4) generating and unitingelectric energy from the steam and from the combustible gas generated inheating the coke.

6. The method herein described of utilizing fuel wastes and generatingpower, which consists in, 1) distilling fuel, (2) superheating waterwith the waste heat of distilling said fuel, (3) generating steam andmotive power from the super-heated water, (4) condensing the exhauststeam formed in generating the motive power, (5) heating air with heatradiated in the step of condensing, and (6) utilizing the heated airregeneratively in the step of distilling the fuel and of air heated bylow degrees of heat radiated from a fluid that has parted with high heatin producing motive power.

7. The method herein described of utilizing fuel wastes and generatingpower, which consists in, (1) generating coal gas, (2) generating watergas, (3) admixing the two gases for applied use, (4) collect-ing andstoring some of the water gas and waste carbon-monoxid generated in themaking of the water gas, (4) generating motive power from burning theadmixed gases thus collected and stored, and (5) applying in useful workthe motive power generated.

8. The method herein described of utilizing fuel wastes and generatingpower, which consists in, (1) heating fuel and producing a combustiblegas, coke and waste hot gases, (2) genera-ting producer gas from thecoke,

(3) generating motive power from the pro- 7 ducer gas, and (4) applyingin unitary useful work waste heat developed in performing the threefirst named ste s.

9. The method herein described of utillizing fuel wastes and generatingpower, which consists in, (1) distilling fuel and producing acombustible gas, coke and exhaust hot gases, (2) generating combustiblegas from the coke, (3) generating motive power from the exhaust hotgases, generating motive power from the combustible gas, and (5) unitingin applied work the two motive powers.

'10. The combination of, (1) means for distilling fuel, said .meansproducing coal gas, coke and waste hot gases, (2) means comprising acounter-current water heater for heating water and forming steam fromthe hot waste gases, (3) means for generating motive power from thesteam, (4) means for generating motive power from the coke, and (5)means for uniting in one flow of distributable motive energy the twomotive powers generated.

11. The combination of, (1) means for generating coal gas, said meansproducing coke and hot waste gases, and for superheating and giving highexpansive power to water with the heat of the hot waste gases, (2) meansfor generating water gas and for super-heating and giving high expansiveforce to water from the sensible heat of the newly made water gas, (3)means for capturing and storing producer gas generated and exhausted inthe process of water gas generation, (4) means for making furtheramounts of producer gas from coke produced in the generation of the coalgas, (5) means for highly heating water and gene ating steam from theWaste heat of the newly generated producer gas, (6) means comprising aninternal combustion engine for generating motive energy from theproducer gas, (7) means for highly heating water and forming steam fromthe heat wastes of the internal combustion engine, (8) means foraccumulating and storing the highly heated water from the several namedsources for heating the water and for disengagingsteam from the highlyheated water in said last named means, (9) means for generating motiveenergy from the steam, and (10) means for uniting the two motiveenergies in one outflow of distributable energy.

12. The combination of, (1) means for generating coal gas, said meansproducing incandescent coke and hot exhaust gases, (2) means for coolingthe incandescent coke and producing water gas in the process of coo-lingthe coke, (3) means comprising a storage tank for conveying to andadmixing and storing said coal and water gases, (4) a verticalcounter-current boiler for generating steam from the hot exhaust gases,and (5) means comprising an engine and blower for using the steam andfor producing a flow of the hot gases through said boiler and to theatmosphere after leavingthe boiler.

13. The combination of, means for makingcoal gas, said means comprisingan externally fired retort, said means producing coke, (2) an internallyfired gas generator for making gas from the coke, and (3) means forutilizing regeneratively in the process of making the gases the wasteheat of making gas in the two means for making gas.

14. The combination of, (1) an externally fired gas generator and aninternally fired gas generator, said generators generating andexhausting hot waste gases, (2) a vertical counter-current boiler andwater heater for generating steam from the high heat of the hot gasesand for progressively heating water from the lower heat of the hotexhaust gases, and (3) means for generating motive power from the steamgenerated and for using the steam and motive power in the generation ofgas in the combination.

15. The combination of, (1) an externally fired retort, producing gasand coke, and exhausting hot gases, (2) means for superheating waterwith the hot exhausted gases, (3) means for accumulating and storing thesuper-heated water, (4) means for generatmg motive power from the coke,said means exhausting waste heat, (5) means for super heating water withthe exhaust waste heat of the means for generating motive power from thecoke and from the means for accumulating and storing super-heated water,(5) means for generating motive power from steam disen aged from thesuperheated water, and 6) means for generating from the two motivepowers generated a store of distributable energy.

16. The combination of, (1) a gas generator, and (2) means comprising aboiler and steam motor for generating motive power from the high degreeof exhaust heat of the gas generator, (2) means for heating air forcombustion with the low degrees of exhaust heat of the gas generator,said last named means comprising an arrangement of heat radiatingsurfaces constructed and disposed to progressively heat the air by heatof pro gressively increasing temperatures, and (3) means comprisingmechanism operated by said steam motor for securing in the gas generatorthe use of the heated air for purposes of combustion.

17. The combination of, (1) means for generating a burnable gas, (2)means for generating motive power from burning the gas, (3) means forheating water and for heating air with the waste heat of the means forgenerating the combustible gas, (4) means for generating motive powerfrom the heated water, and means for utilizing said motive power and theair ieated in the means for generating a combustible 18. The combinationof, (1) means for distilling fuel, said means producing coke and hotwaste gases, (2) means for generating motive power from the hot wastegases, (3) means for generating motive power from the coke, and (4)means for generating and accumulating a store of distributable energyfrom the two motive powers generated, said elements co-acting to securea utilization of the fuel wastes of the combination.

19. The combination of (1) means for distilling fuel, said meansproducing coke and hot waste gases, (2) means for capturing,accumulating and storing heat energy generated by said means fordistilling fuel, (3) means for generating motive power from the coke andfor capturing and accumulating and storing heat energ generated by saidmeans of generating motive power, (4) means for generating motive powerfrom the dually generated, captured, concentrated,

accumulated and stored heat energy, and

(5) means comprising electric generators and conductors for uniting inone store of distributable energy the two motive powers generated.

20. The combination of, (1) means for generating gas, said means burningfuel, said means comprising provision for controlling, distributing andforcing air into contact with said fuel, whereby a substantially perfectcombustion of the fuel burned is secured, (2) means for controlling thecompression of the air and fuel being burned in said means forgenerating gas, (3) means for highly heating water with the completelyburned gases exhausted from the combination, and (4) means forgenerating motive power from the heated water and for utilizing themotive power generated in operating the means for generating the gas.

21. The combination of, (1) means for driving tar and sulfur from fuelby heating, (2) means for generating water gas with the heated fuel, (3)means for generating producer gas from the heated fuel,

said water gas and producer gas being generated separately andintermittently, (4:) means for admixing at will water gas with theproducer gas, whereby the producer gas is enriched with the water gas indesired proportions, and (5) means comprising an internal combustionengine for generating motive power from the admixed gases.

22. The method herein described for utilizing fuel wastes and generatingpower which consists in, (1) heating a coking fuel, said heatingproducing combustible gas, coke and hot waste gases, (2) freeing thecombustible gas from contaminants by passing the gas through the newlyproduced hot coke, (3) making water gas from the coke, (4) makingproducer gas from the Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, 7

coke, (5) generating motive power from the several gases and from thehot waste gases produced in the several steps, and (6) uniting themotive powers severally generated.

23. The method herein described for utilizing fuel wastes and generatingpower, which consists in, (1) distilling fuel, and producing from thefuel distilled, the several products, coal gas, coke, and hot exhaustgases, (2) generating producer gas from the coke, generating motivepower from the producer gas, (at) generating steam from the hot exhaustgases, (5) generating motive power from the steam, said last namedmotive power being generated separate and apart from the power generatedby the producer gas, and (6) generating electric energy from each of thetwogenerated motive powers and uniting the two electric energiesgenerated.

JOSEPH MOSES WARD KITCHEN.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WHEELooK, ELIZABETH B. KING.

Washington, D. C.

